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Derick Brassard was playing hurt down the stretch and during the playoffs.

Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford didn't go into detail about what was ailing Brassard, but he did say it was "an injury that is very difficult to play with." Brassard dealt with the issue for the last week of the regular season and throughout the playoffs. That could partially explain why he struggled so much to produce. May 9 - 8:59 PM

The Penguins acquired Brassard in the hopes that he'd act as an extremely overqualified third-line center to give them the kind of depth they crave. Brassard didn't end up working out particularly well in the playoffs though and he found himself spending some time on the fourth line as a result. Brassard wasn't a rental though as he's still under contract for 2018-19, so it will be interesting to see what the Penguins do from here. Perhaps part of Brassard's struggles was related to him joining a team down the stretch and now that he has some familiarity with the Penguins and will have the benefit of entering 2018-19 on even footing with everyone else, he'll perform better with Pittsburgh. The alternative is that the Penguins decide that the experiment failed and they attempt to trade him over the summer. May 9 - 7:27 AM

Derick Brassard logged just 11:10 of ice time in Game 6 against Washington.

Only Conor Sheary logged less ice time (11:09) for the Penguins in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Capitals. Brassard struggled in the postseason with only one goal and three assists in 12 games. He is under contract for next season and will look to gain back coach Mike Sullivan's confidence. May 8 - 10:25 AM

Brassard scored back in Game 3 against Philadelphia in the first round of the postseason. He hasn't recorded a point in three games going into Tuesday night's Game 3 matchup versus Washington. Brassard is projected to play with Phil Kessel to try to get both players going offensively. May 1 - 2:08 PM

Depth Charts

Sidney Crosby was named the greatest Nova Scotia athlete of all time on Thursday night.

Crosby was voted No. 1 of 15 on a list made by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame after he secured 35 of 36 first-place votes. "I think I've understood over the years that you have a small window to do something you love, and for whatever reason, that was instilled pretty early," Crosby told The Canadian Press. "I know that at one point it's going to stop, but I want to make sure that I enjoy every minute of it."

Evgeni Malkin scored a goal in Thursday's Game 4 victory over the Washington Capitals.

Malkin dove for a loose puck that was sitting on the goal line but no goal was initially called because Braden Holtby appeared to make a miraculous save with his blocker. However after further review, the puck did cross the line by about an inch and the Penguins got the goal they deserved. The series will now head back to Washington all tied up at two games a piece.

Derick Brassard was playing hurt down the stretch and during the playoffs.

Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford didn't go into detail about what was ailing Brassard, but he did say it was "an injury that is very difficult to play with." Brassard dealt with the issue for the last week of the regular season and throughout the playoffs. That could partially explain why he struggled so much to produce.

Matt Cullen didn't expect the Pittsburgh Penguins to be interested in him this summer.

"Jim said when he called, ‘You were probably expecting my call,'" Cullen said, referring to Penguins GM Jim Rutherford. "I said, ‘Well, I wasn’t, because I saw you had [signed Sheahan].'" Pittsburgh inked Cullen to a one-year, $650,000 contract. He'll serve as a veteran leader and a strong presence on the fourth line. This is his second stint with the Penguins after he won the Cup with them in 2016 and 2017.

Jean-Sebastien Dea has agreed to a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Dea can earn $650,000 at the NHL level, which matches his 2017-18 salary. He primarily played in the AHL last season though, scoring 18 goals and 50 points in 70 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Grant's natural position is center, but he can also serve as a winger. In addition, over his years in the AHL he's learned to play up and down the lineup as either a scoring or defensive forward and has gotten roles with the man advantage and killing penalties along the way. That likely influenced the Penguins' decision to sign Grant to a one-year contract even though they were already loaded with centers. While having some extra center depth is a nice perk, it helps that Grant can comfortably shift to the wing when everyone is healthy.

The Penguins don't have to re-sign Jake Guentzel this summer, but they might opt to lock him up to a long-term deal now anyways.

Guentzel's entry-level contract expires in the summer of 2019, so re-signing him now would be about adding clarity to the Penguins' long-term cap situation. Guentzel was solid in his sophomore campaign with 22 goals and 48 points in 82 games, but where he really stood out was in the playoffs as he scored 10 goals and 21 points in 12 contests.

Carl Hagelin is expected to suit up in Thursday's game against the Washington Capitals.

Hagelin has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but it looks like he's ready to go tonight. He's skating on a line with Riley Sheahan and Phil Kessel. Hagelin has two goals and one assist in six games this season.

Zach Aston-Reese wants to claim a permanent roster spot with Pittsburgh this season.

Aston-Reese appeared in 16 games with the Penguins last season and he posted six points. He also skated in nine playoff contests before he suffered a concussion and broken jaw. Aston-Reese has recovered fully from those injuries.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan feels he has a good relationship with Phil Kessel.

"My relationship with Phil has been the same for three seasons," Sullivan said. "It hasn't changed. It's evolved because we've been through different experiences both as a group and as individuals, but my relationship with Phil is the same as it's always been. It's one of respect, of mutual respect and that's how I see it." There have been reports of a rift between Kessel and Sullivan, which has also led to trade rumors. Kessel's coming off a strong season with 34 goals and 92 points in 82 games, so it would be somewhat surprising if he actually ended up being dealt.

Patric Hornqvist was finally able to add a gold medal to his collection on Sunday.

Hornqvist scored two goals in five games for Sweden at the 2018 World Championship. The Swedes defeated Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout to win gold. Hornqvist is two-thirds of the way to joining the Triple Gold Club, as he already has two Stanley Cups. He still needs an Olympic gold medal to achieve that feat.

Pittsburgh has signed Daniel Sprong to a two-year contract with an annual average value of $750,000.

Sprong generated 32 goals and 65 points in 65 games for the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2017-18. He also had two goals and one assist in eight appearances with Pittsburgh. Sprong is expected to be regular at the NHL level next season.

A fully healthy Kris Letang is a key to the Penguins' success going forward.

The 31-year-old defensemen had neck surgery in April 2017 and was cleary not at his best last season until after January 1st. Prior to New Years, the Pens were a minus-24 with Letang on the ice. That stat flipped in the second half of the season to plus two. If Letang's second-half performance is an indication that he is finally healthy, look for the talented reaguard to rebound in a big way in 2018-19.

Justin Schultz had a pair of assists Saturday in the Penguins 6-3 loss to Washington.

Schultz has five assists in his last five games to give him a goal and eight points in 11 games this post-season. After a 51 point season in 2016-17, Schultz regressed this season as he had only four goals and 27 points in 63 games. Look for a bounce back season next year as Schultz should get back to the 40-point mark with the Penguins.

Brian Dumoulin will suit up in Game 3 against Washington on Tuesday night.

Dumoulin left Game 2 after taking a hit to the head from Caps forward Tom Wilson. He's skating on a pairing with Kris Letang during the pregame warmup. Dumoulin has one goal and five assists in eight games this postseason. He's averaged 21 minutes per game during the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially signed Jack Johnson to a five-year, $16.25 million contract.

The Johnson signing was first reported on Wednesday, but couldn't become official until the free agency period started. Johnson struggled with Columbus in 2017-18 and saw his role dip as a result, but he's been a top pairing defenseman for much of his career. The Penguins are taking a significant risk by signing him for five years, but if he is able to bounce back then this will be a very nice contract for them.

Maatta ended the game with a plus-four rating and was a big part of the Penguins win. Maatta also chipped in with an assist in 21:54 of ice time. Maatta tied his career mark of 29 points this season and should be counted on for a similar point total next season if he remains healthy.

Matt Murray endured a lot of challenges in 2017-18, but he takes them as "learning experiences."

Murray endured a series of injuries this season, including a concussion. It made it hard for him to get into a rhythm and likely contributed to his struggles when healthy. He had a 2.92 GAA and .907 save percentage in 49 regular season contests. Murray also endured his first playoff series loss after winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in the first two seasons of his career. "I’ve been through a lot of learning experiences," Murray said. "I’ve been through a lot of different things that most guys probably don’t see at my age — good and bad. I feel very fortunate for that. You learn from all of it. You learn from the bad things probably even more than the good things. I’ll take that. Everything that has happened is going to make me stronger in the long run."

The Penguins goaltender waited until the final day of his team's season to pick up the first shutout of his NHL career. He's won three of his last four outings. He'll finish the regular season with a 6-4-1 record with a 2.40 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage this season. If the Pens make a long playoff run, it's probably because DeSmith won't see much action.

Jarry has a two-way deal in 2018-19, and a one-way deal in 2019-20, with an average annual value of $675,000 at the NHL level. In 26 appearances with Pittsburgh last season, he posted a 14-6-2 record with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage and two shutouts. Jarry will compete with Casey DeSmith for the backup goalie position at training camp.

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